Describe your ideal portable rig

I am at a point where I am tired of lugging heavy amps. My goals are to find a rig that provides: musicality, quality, portability and power all combined (either a combo or cabinet and head). My style of music is primarily R&B and jazz (no hip hop) and I play a 5 string bass. If you have experience with smaller rigs that provide what you think is the ideal for this genre and or bass please advise. Thanks!

My 97 lbs Peavey Classic 400 head and my 98 lbs Bergantino NV610 !!! Seriously, I also use a A.M.P. BH-420 (24 lbs) and a Aguilar S210 cab (52 lbs) for smaller gigs). I also have an Ampeg B3 combo (1x8 and 1x15) that kicks back and rolls and is about 80 lbs.

Thunderfunk550 and an Epi410UL.... large and loud enough to play virtually any gig in any sized room, and light enough to lift with one had if you had to. It is a clean, crisp, articulate funk and pop machine!

I have great hopes for the Schroeder 21012light, which is even smaller and lighter than the Epi410UL, and given my experience with the 1210, might even be louder and sound better... we will see.

Thanks everyone for your ideas! I am very grateful to all and I will research some of the gear I had not been familiar with (Clarus Sl). I am leaning towards a Thunderfunk/Accugroove 2x10 ---or----Aguilar 500 Epifani UL 2/10 (for head & cabinet set ups). For combo's I am looking at the new Eden 1x12 combo----or----the Genz Benz 112 Neox. Does any one have an opinion for combo Vs the individual head and cabinet set up? Personally I think the individual set up will allow for greater flexibility and I think the 2x10 cab is the way to go over a 1x12. Thoughts or opinions welcomed!

My present formula is Thunderfunk+Accugroove 112L. A neo 2-10" would give you more speaker area and you may prefer 10's. You may want to consider the Schroeder minis. As soon as they begin shipping, my new mini-rig will be a series III Acoustic Image Contra but it won't achieve the same loudness as rig #1.

Hi, these brands are unfamiliar to me. I know you mentioned the Shroeder and another writer mentioned Clarus SL. Are you able to provide any website information for either of these mfgs? Thanks!

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Just google Schroeder and Acoustic Image (the company that makes the Clarus). Actually, the Acoustic Image Focus is a much better amp... same size and virtually the same weight as the Clarus and twice the wattage. If you check out the Tom Bowlus GTG thread on 'Off Topic', there are lot's of raves for the Focus.

Thanks everyone for your ideas! I am very grateful to all and I will research some of the gear I had not been familiar with (Clarus Sl). I am leaning towards a Thunderfunk/Accugroove 2x10 ---or----Aguilar 500 Epifani UL 2/10 (for head & cabinet set ups). For combo's I am looking at the new Eden 1x12 combo----or----the Genz Benz 112 Neox. Does any one have an opinion for combo Vs the individual head and cabinet set up? Personally I think the individual set up will allow for greater flexibility and I think the 2x10 cab is the way to go over a 1x12. Thoughts or opinions welcomed!

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ok,

depending on how much you wanna spend, i say go for the Thunderfunk w/ the Epifani UL210.

of all the heads you mention, the Thunderfunk is an amazing little box. the side handle makes carrying it a breeze, and its "timbre" knob is amazing for both finding a quick and easy tone, OR in helping you tune your overall sound while fine tuning w/ the semi parametric EQ.

the Accugroove 210 is a nice cab, but its not quite as chest pounding as one would hope it'd be. my similarly somewhat neutral Acme 210 has more inherent punch.

the Epifani on the other hand is ALL punch and guts. awesome little cab that cant do wrong. also, its pretty freakin' loud. not to mention is much smaller and easier to carry than the Accu.

another cab worth mentioning is the Euphonic Audio NL210. another REALLY loud and compact cab. that much easier to carry than the Epifani. tonally, a tad warmer sounding than the Epifani, but IMHO, both cabs are of the tops of the tops 2x10 cabs out there.